FCC Wants 120 MHz Back From TV (updated)

The National Broadband Plan will call for the reallocation of more than one-third of the spectrum currently devoted to broadcast television -- 120 MHz of 300 MHz -- for wireless broadband access within the next five years.

The plan calls for the Federal Communications Commission to free up 36 MHz from the broadcast spectrum band by "repacking" the band and obtain the balance of the 120 MHz by encouraging "voluntary" channel sharing among stations. The recovered spectrum would be auctioned to wireless broadband access operators and, with the blessing of Congress, the proceeds would be shared with the broadcasters. The plan also says that if authorized by Congress the FCC should consider imposing spectrum fees on commercial, full-power TV stations. And, it adds, Congress should consider using those fees as well as some of the spectrum auction proceeds to fund an "endowment" for noncommercial media.

Update:

The timeline for freeing spectrum: the FCC issues a band-reclamation order by next year, holds an auction in the 2012-2013 time-frame, and clears broadcasters off the band in 2015